Travelling cylinder printer with means for locking the platen and associated handle in retracted position

ABSTRACT

A compact portable data recorder wherein a single handle functions both for operating the platen for recording and for carrying the device. A detent releasably locks the handle in position for carrying the device.

United States Patent 11 1 device.

Ackerman 51 May 29, 1973 [5 TRAVELLING CYLINDER PRINTER [56] ReferencesCited WITH MEANS FOR LOCKING THE I S P NT PLATEN AND ASSOCIATED HANDLEUN TED STATE ATE IN RETRACTED POSITION 3,572,241 3 1971 Waterman..l01/269 3,279,369 10/1966 Hight 101/269 2,935,939 5/1960 D h rt t1.... ..l01 269 [75] Inventor: Francis R. Ackerman, W1l1oughby 3,334,5828/1967 z z z i 101 X Hills, Ohio 3,004,487 10/1961 Herbert.... .....101269 2,606,494 8/1952 Vogt .....101/269 73 Ass1gnee: Addressograph-M g p3,465,672 9/1969 Whitfield ..l01/269 poration, Cleveland, Ohio PrimaryExaminerRobert E. Pulfrey [22] Filed: Aug. 24, 1971 AssistantExaminer-E. M. Coven ll 1.. z 1 P 1 pp No'z 174,387 Attorney Russe Rootand R 1y S yle [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.:S.'Cl ..l01/269, 292/128 A compactportable data recorder wherein a Single [51] Int. Cl. "B4" 3/20 ha dlfun ti n b th for opgrafing the platen for [58] Field of Search;..l01/45, 269-274, recording and for carrying the device. A detentreleasably locks the handle in position for carrying the 1 Claim, 8Drawing Figures TRAVELLING CYLINDER PRINTER WITH MEANS FOR LOCKING THEPLATEN AND ASSOCIATED HANDLE IN RETRACTED POSITION BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates generally to data recorders,

and more particularly to small compact easily portable data recordingdevices.

In many instances the requirements of a data recording situation requirethat a small compact easily portable data recorder be provided forrecording the information from printing tokens such as embossed plasticor metal plates. One of the principle requirements to achieve thenecessary compactness and lightness, or

- portability, is a design which will allow maximum utilization of eachof the component parts so as tocut down both on the number andcomplexity of the parts required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Other objects, features and advantages willappear hereinafter as the description proceeds.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable data recorderaccording'to this invention with the head assembly in the closedposition and with the handle assembly retracted;

FIG. 2 is-the data recorder of FIG. 1 with the head assembly in the openposition;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plane view of the head assembly;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the planedesignated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the planedesignated by the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing the handle in a lockedposition; 7

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the handledepressed andreleased from the locked position;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the latch assembly for latching the head inplace; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the action of the handleassembly for releasing the latch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing,there is shown a portable data recorder according to this invention. Thedata recorder includes a bed member 10 and a head assembly l2 pivotallymounted thereon. A coil spring 14 normally biases the head assembly 12to its open position when a latch mechanism is released. As can best beseen in FIGS. 2 and 7, the latch mechanism includes a pivotally mountedcatch 16 disposed to engage a pin 18 provided on the head assembly. Abiasingspring 20 normally urges the catch 16 into engagement with thepin. The catch can be manually released by rotating it against the biasof the spring 20 and for this purpose an operating lever 22 is securedto the catch 16.

The bed member 10 is provided with a printing token support platform 26which is disposed to receive and support a printing token. The printingtokens normally will be of an embossed sheet material such as embossedplastic cards or embossed metal plates.

The head assembly 12 is provided with a printing platen designated bythe reference character 28. As can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, theprinting platen 28 is rotatably mounted on a support yoke 30 which yoke30, in turn, is slidably mounted on a central track 32. The yoke is thusfree to slide along the track 32 and allow the printing platen 28 torollingly engage any printing token which is supported on the supportplatform and, if a dry platen is utilized, perform a printing functionof any carbon paper interleaved form positioned therebetween in aconventional well-known manner. If a single part form is to beimprinted, the device may be provided with an ink impregnated plateninstead of the dry platen.

The support yoke 30 is operably connected to a handle member indicatedgenerally by the reference character 34 in FIG. 2 and, in fact, in thepreferred embodiment is formed as an integral part of the handle. Thehandle member 34 has an elongated shank 36 which terminates in a grip38. The grip 38lies externallyof the head assembly 12. Thus the handlemember 34 can be used to operatively slide the yoke 30 along the track32 to move the printing platen 28 to perform a printing function. Theshank 36 is formed of a relatively resilient material so that it canflex slightly.

The printing platen 28 is shown in FIG. 2 in its home or retractedposition wherein it is fully inserted within the device, also as shownin FIGS. 1 and 3. In order to perform a printing function, the handlemember 34 moves the platen away from the home position shown in FIG. 2to an extended position (not shown in the drawing) which position allowsthe platen to completely roll across the support platform 26 whichsupports the embossed portion of the printing token. This is theextended position of the handle assembly and the platen.

It is desirable, however, that the handle member 34 be locked in theretracted position for carrying so that the data recorder as shown inFIG. 1 can be lifted and transported with the grip 38 acting as atransporting member as well as a member for operating the platen. Tothis end a detent is provided to releasably secure or latch the handlemember 34 in the retracted position. The detent assembly includes atransversely extending groove 40 (FIGS. 5 and 6) formed in the handlemember 34 where the shank 36 meets the grip 38. The groove 40 isdisposed to engage a downwardly projecting wall portion 42 of the headassembly 12. To cause the engagement of the groove 40 and the projection42 a leaf spring 44 is provided, which is secured to the head assembly12 and bears against the shank 36 of the handle member 34, normallyurging the handle upwardly as shown in FIG. 5 to engage the groove 40with the projection 42. With the handle member 34 thus detented intolocking engagement with the head assembly 12, the handle member issecurely held in the retracted position and the grip 38 can be used toconveniently carry the data recorder.

In order to release the handle for use in printing, the grip 38 needmerely be pushed down against the bias of the leaf spring 44. Theresiliency of the shank 36 allows it to flex to this position and thehandle can then be freely pulled as shown in FIG. 6, and the pulling cancontinue until its extended position is reached.

As was described above, the printing function is performed by the platenrolling from the retracted position to the extended position with aprinting token carried by the support platform 26 and with a formoverlying the token. The printing function is done with the datarecorder in the closed and latched position. It is well known, however,that only a single rolling pass of the platen over the form and theprinting token is required and that any further passes will tend tosmudge or blur the already imprinted impression. Therefore, it isdesirable to prevent, or at least reduce, the possibility of the rollerbeing returned from the extended position to the home position after theprinting function has been performed and while the data recorder is inthe closed and latched position with the printing token and the formremaining therein.

In order to prevent or minimize such a happening, the handle member 34and the catch 16 are provided with cooperating surfaces which willrelease the catch 16 upon completion of the printing stroke so that thehead assembly will swing open. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 7 and 8, thehandle member 34 has laterally extending therefrom an outrigger 46having an engagement surface 48 on one side thereof. The engagementsurface 48 is disposed to cooperate with a coacting engaging surface 50formed on the catch 16 so that when the printing stroke is completed thecatch 16 will be rethe printing thereof, and provide access for theremoval and replacement of the form and the token..

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable data recorder having a bed member and a head assembly,said bed member and said head assembly being interconnected for movementbetween a card receiving position and a recording position; latch meansfor releasably securing said bed member and said head assembly in saidrecording position, a platen mounted on said head assembly for movementfrom a retracted position to an extended position to create animpression on a form, and a handle assembly including a stern and bailoperatively connected to said platen for the operation thereof, saidhandle being close to said bed member when the platen is retracted withsaid stem extending back into the space between the bed and head, andthe stem withdraws from the recorder when the platen is extended, theimprovement comprising; detent means including a groove formed on one ofsaid assemblies and a cooperating projection formed on the other of saidassemblies, said groove and said projection extending across the path ofhandle assembly movement and thereby being positioned to engage inlocking relationship when the bed member and head assembly are in saidrecording position and the platen is in said retracted position; andbiasing means normally biasing said assemblies in a direction to engagesaid groove and said projection said handle assembly being manuallymovable in a lateral direction against said biasing means to unlock theassemblies; whereby said handle assembly may be used to carry said datarecorder with the handle retracted close to the recorder bed.

1. In a portable data recorder having a bed member and a head assembly,said bed member and said head assembly being interconnected for movementbetween a card receiving position and a recording position; latch meansfor releasably securing said bed member and said head assembly in saidrecording position, a platen mounted on said head assembly for movementfrom a retracted position to an extended position to create animpression on a form, and a handle assembly including a stem and bailoperatively connected to said platen for the operation thereof, saidhandle being close to said bed member when the platen is retracted withsaid stem extending back into the space between the bed and head, andthe stem withdraws from the recorder when the platen is extended, theimprovement comprising; detent means including a groove formed on one ofsaid assemblies and a cooperating projection formed on the other of saidassemblies, said groove and said projection extending across the path ofhandle assembly movement and thereby being positioned to engage inlocking relationship when the bed member and head assembly are in saidrecording position and the platen is in said retracted position; andbiasing means normally biasing said assemblies in a direction to engagesaid groove and said projection said handle assembly being manuallymovable in a lateral direction against said biasing means to unlock theassemblies; whereby said handle assembly may be used to carry said datarecorder with the handle retracted close to the recorder bed.